Sir
James Barrie in "When a Man's Single," published
about 1900, records a price scale announced by a London
grocer as follows: "Eggs, new-laid 1s. 3d.; eggs, fresh,
1s. 2d.; eggs warranted, Is.; eggs, 10d." About fourteen
years later in May, 1914, the present writer observed in a London grocer's stall the following price scale: New-laid
eggs, 10d.; Selected, 12d.; Warranted, 16d. In the period
preceding the war the value of eggs had not greatly
changed, but the value of words had. The superlative new-laid of 1900 had become degraded to the bottom of
the scale.

The experience of the adjective new-laid serves to illustrate a kind of change prevalent among words. Words,
like eggs, may degenerate. In fact degeneration of meaning is a conspicuous phenomenon in the science of semantics which deals with development in word meanings.
Many of the illustrative words cited in the preceding chapter afford striking illustration of this feature of language.
The figurative force of euphemism and hyperbole, like that
of the figures based on association, such as the metaphor and
metonymy, fades with continued use, and faded euphemism
and faded hyperbole result in degeneration of meaning.
Such words as indolent, insolent, impertinent, immoral, indignant, misconduct, and misdemeanor, already cited, will
serve for illustration. The word insane is obviously no
longer euphemistic, but the effect of its euphemistic use
has been to lower the word from an earlier meaning of
'not well' (Lat. in + sanus) to its present terribly direct

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